Mechanisms of Electrophoretic Deposition

There is no single mechanism of electrophoretic deposition (EPD). Just as there are several mechanisms for creating a stable colloidal suspension, there are several mechanisms by which particles can be destabilized to form an adherent deposit at an electrode surface. The goal of this paper is to provide a listing of the mechanisms by which electrophoretic deposition can occur. Several of these mechanisms have already been demonstrated, while others remain speculative. The first step in this process is to provide a clear definition of what exactly EPD is, and, equally important, to clearly distinguish EPD from three other very similar processes: electrostatic coating, electrodeposition, and electrocasting. From this definition a series of logical steps leads to a list of mechanisms by which a stable colloid can be converted to a stable particle compact.